21 Days in June Day 17 – Ontario to Springfield, OR

Story: 21 Days in June

Page 17 of 20 – Day 17 (the last day)

Ontario to Springfield, OR via OR 242 scenic byway (373 miles)
Via US 20, US 395, OR 242, OR 126

Terrain: Paved state highways, mountain curves, scenic
Date: June 2014
Roads: Paved highway, interstate, mountain pass
Technical: Easy, Intermediate (switchbacks)
Elevation: 459 ft. to 5,351 ft

McKenzie Pass Scenic Byway

We head out on westbound Hwy 26/20 from Ontario Oregon. I love this highway. It has a nice sweeping canyon portion that is fun to ride.

But, we started out with… guess what? More road construction… They are grinding centerline rumble strips, so there is nothing to worry about except for the very long wait time. I am third in line so when we start moving, there is virtually nobody in front of us. It is clear sailing, and we make quick use of the wonderfully smooth and clean canyon highway. I don’t advise this stretch late at night because it gets so dark here. But in the daylight, the road is really fun and a must do road on a motorcycle! If we had more time, we would include a swing north on Hwy 395 toward John Day National Monument… that will have to wait for another trip. Map this route out on Google maps and you’ll see the twisties and canyons between Ontario and Burns OR. Our highway turns into US-395 and back to 20, but don’t let that fool you. Just stay on the road toward Bend, OR and you’ll be OK.

There is a fantastic Chinese food restaurant where we always stop when in Burns, OR. You won’t be disappointed.

From Burns, it’s straight through to Bend and then we continue to Sisters, Oregon. Sisters is a great destination spot, especially when they are having one of many events held there. They host a fantastic folk festival, and a number of other activities and events. From Sisters, you can see around 10 snow-covered peaks. In June, people are not skiing, but are kayaking, rafting, hiking, biking, and riding OHV bikes and 4 wheelers. But this is where our ride gets fun again.

From Sisters, we head South on the Old McKenzie Highway 242. This route is closed during the winter and typically opens in June. This year it opens on June 16^th. Check conditions before going here. http://tinyurl.com/kb7xz8z Today, it is open so off we go. The road curves and meanders through forests with huge trees, lava flows and creeks. It’s an old highway with nice views. Plan on stopping a time or two. But don’t get too complacent and make sure to watch for gravel and other cars and bikes. Those pesky people… they love to cut corners, so watch out for that.

Highway 242 ends with a T at the modern McKenzie Highway (126). Belknap Hot Springs is half a mile uphill from the T. It’s a nice country resort with a large natural hot springs pool and hiking trails through gardens. This place hosts weddings during the summer months. Go in either direction on Hwy 126 and you’ll find waterfalls, mountain bike trails and clear lakes and campgrounds. We head downhill, and take the McKenzie Highway toward Springfield/Eugene.

Thanks for riding along. We really enjoyed our tour. We are getting home a few days early, so next time it will be 21 days in June. For this time, we’ll be happy with our 18 days. J

By the numbers:

Countless liters of bottled water
43 average MPG
30 stops for fuel
18 days on the road
Two stops for repairs (both my fault)
One 7 oz. can of Plexus Plastic Cleaner (helmet shield cleaner)
Zero bike cleaning supplies J

Things we used (not in order of importance):

Extra Large bike cover from Walmart. I loved this very light-weight and small cover
Mustang Touring Seat with rain cover
Kuryakyn passenger grab rails
Harley Tour-Pack with Locking quick release latches
Harley Tour-Pack Rack Bag. Fits nicely and modified to lock
GoPro 3 black with wireless remote
SP Powerbar GoPro 2-battery charger and powerpack (charges phones too)
Kuryakyn rear adjustable passenger pegs
Powerlet power for front and rear charging duties
RAM Mounts for iPhone GPS, GoPro and wireless remote mounts
Packing check list (home made)
Helmet visor tint (upper)
Scala Helmet Communicators with Bluetooth
MotionX map and tracking GPS
Navigon by Garmin GPS software for iPhone with lifetime North American maps
World Radar free iPhone weather app
Bikemaster Flat Tire repair kit
Plexus Plastic Cleaner and Polisher